Faculty Bibliography

Bleeding complications after coronary intervention are associated with prolonged hospitalization, increased hospital costs, patient dissatisfaction, morbidity, and 1-year mortality. Bleeding avoidance strategies is a term incorporating multiple modalities that aim to reduce bleeding and vascular complications after cardiovascular catheterization. Recent improvements in the rates of bleeding complications after invasive cardiovascular procedures suggest that the clinical community has successfully embraced specific strategies and improved patient care in this area. There remains controversy regarding the efficacy, safety, and/or practicality of 3 key bleeding avoidance strategies for cardiac catheterization and coronary intervention: procedural (radial artery approach, safezone arteriotomy), pharmacological (multiple agents), and technological (vascular closure devices) approaches to improved access. In this paper, we address areas of consensus with respect to selected modalities in order to define the role of each strategy in current practice. Furthermore, we focus on areas of controversy for selected modalities in order to define key areas warranting cautious clinical approaches and the need for future randomized clinical trials in this area.

Bleeding has recently emerged as an important outcome in the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), which is relatively frequent compared with ischaemic outcomes and has important implications in terms of prognosis, outcomes, and costs. In particular, there is evidence that patients experiencing major bleeding in the acute phase are at higher risk for death in the following months, although the causal nature of this relation is still debated. This position paper aims to summarize current knowledge regarding the epidemiology of bleeding in ACS and percutaneous coronary intervention, including measurement and definitions of bleeding, with emphasis on the recent consensus Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) definitions. It also provides an European perspective on management strategies to minimize the rate, extent, and consequences of bleeding. Finally, the research implications of bleeding (measuring and reporting bleeding in trials, the importance of bleeding as an outcome measure, and bleeding as a subject for future research) are also discussed.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:This study examined a large registry to determine the frequency, predictors, and outcomes of native coronary artery versus bypass graft percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). BACKGROUND:The PCI target vessel and corresponding outcomes in prior CABG patients are poorly studied. METHODS:We analyzed the frequency and factors associated with native versus bypass graft PCI in prior CABG patients undergoing PCI between January 1, 2004, and June 30, 2009, in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) CathPCI Registry. Generalized estimating equations logistic regression modeling was used to generate independent variables associated with native versus bypass graft PCI and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS:During the study period, PCI in prior CABG patients represented 17.5% of the total PCI volume (300,902 of 1,721,046). The PCI target was a native coronary artery in 62.5% and a bypass graft in 37.5%: saphenous vein graft (SVG) (104,678 [34.9%]), arterial graft (7,517 [2.5%]), or both arterial graft and SVG (718 [0.2%]). Compared with patients undergoing native coronary artery PCI, those undergoing bypass graft PCI had higher-risk characteristics and more procedural complications. On multivariable analysis, several parameters (including graft stenosis and longer interval from CABG) were associated with performing native coronary PCI, and bypass graft PCI was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio: 1.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.12 to 1.32). CONCLUSIONS:Most PCIs performed in prior CABG patients are done in native coronary artery lesions. Compared with native coronary PCI, bypass graft PCI is independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality.